of dayton



Feb1 26, 1929. 1,703,296

T. P. CHASE RUBBER SPRI NG SHACKLE l Filed March 29, 1924 f@ mnima L',

NZH

Patented Feb. 26, 1929.

UNITED STATES 1,703,296 PA'EENT OFFICE.

THERON P. CHASE, OF DAYTON, OHIO, ASSIGNOR TO GENERAL MOTORS RESEARCH CORPORAT'O'N, OF DAYTON, OHO, A CORPORATION OF DELAWARE.

RUBBER SPR-ING SHACKLE.

Application filed March 29, 1924. Serial No. 702,951.

',lhis invention relates to elastic connectors et a type adapted to take the place of spring shackles, to serve as elastic resistors for rear axle t ion arms7 or to be used as elastic shock absorbers in general. Its objects are to impart to a connector, composed in whole or part ot rubber7 strength, durability and capacity to snub extreme movements, to yieldingly resist strains in different directions, an d otherwise to improve the functioningl ot' such devices.

lt consists of a connector comprising a block or mass ot' rubber' or equivalent incompressible elastic deformable material, surrounded by a flexible relatively inelastic and non-stretchable band, said mass having areas at its ends that are uncon lined where the mass may detorm and means to attach the connector between members to be connected.

ln the accompanying drawing, in which like parts are indicated by the same reference characters throughout the several views:

Fig. l is a side elevation of one embodiment of this invention applied as a spring` shackle;

Fig. 2 an end elevation, partly in section, taken at the line 2 2 of Fig'. l. and

l? S a side elevation partly in section, the device for attaching it to the members to be connected being; broken away in part.

.ln order to illuf'itrate one useful application^` a connector made in accordance with this invention is shown in 'the drawing as cennectine one end of a leaf spring to one end ot a 'traine sill ot a motor vehicle.

Retereuce numeral l0, indicates one end et one ot the side sills ot an automobile trame; l1 a fragment ot a leaf spring and 12 'the elastic connector as a whole by which, in this instance.y one end of the leaf spring is connected to the sill.

The elastic member ol the collncctor l2 consists o'l a block or mass of rubber 13. In the preferred jlorin.y the block or mass 123 is ol sul stantially cylirulrical contour having a. circular cross section. t'iai d block 13 is surrouiulcd by a flexible. relatively nini-stretchahlc band 14 which may, by preference. be composed ot strands or cords oit libre wound around the cylindrical block, or plural layers ot tire cord fabric having the warp running, circu-mferentially. The band 14 may be termi-ed separately from the block 13 and the bloeitV i3 ed into it it desired.

' recibio lured, particuli" ly when posed ot' strands7 cords, or layers of cord fabric is preferably rubberized or impregnated and mingled with rubber; and the rubber of the block with the assembled impregnated band may be cured as a unit in such a manner to make a body consisting Otan all rubber center vulcanized to a tlexible surrounding band` `Holes `'for bolts 15 may be formed in the rubber mass or block13 in any suitable manner7 as by molding,` the rubber compound around pins or cores in the mold in which the block is formed and cured, by extruding` the rubber compound through a die provided with pins for formingthe holes., or by any method known to the art of molding and curing rubber.

Oppositely disposed retaining members 16 are -hatte-d to the body composed `oit the rubber block 13 and flexibleband 14. These ret iners may he cup-like bodies, such as segments of a cylinder7 each having a curved wall l? conforming more or less closely to the elastic body, and transverse end walls 18. The inner periphery of' the curved wall 17 may be formed, if desired, with a curvature ot slightly longer radius than 4that of the cylindrical body to which itis applied as shown in Fig. As a convenient method of manutacture the en d walls 18 may bewelded to the 'arcuate ends of the curved walls as indicated at 19. The edges of the end walls 18 are preferably tlared outward as at Q() to minimize or avoid any cutting action ot the edges upon the rubber when it bulges between said edges.

The retaining members 16 may be secured to the rubber block 13 by means of the headed bolts 15, which extend through perforations in the end walls and through the rubber blocks. Thebolts'l are secured lirinly in place by nuts Q1. These nuts may be castellated and locked in place by cutter pins 22 in order to insure against accidental loosening. Each retainer may be provided with a threadid stud Z3 one end of which may be riveted. welded. or otherwise connected to the wal! l? thereof. A suitable washer 25, havingr one surtace conforming' to the curvature ol the retainer', is intended to be interposed between the retainer and the member to which that retainer is to be connected7 while a lock washer 26 is intended to be interposed between a nut 24 and the other surface ot' said member. A

In 'l "che upper retainer is snor iiected to a bracket 37 secured lo one end ot a Ytrame sill l() and having a perforation l'or the passage ot a stud 23, said bracket being interposed between the washers 25 and 2G and clamped by the nut rlhe lower retainer is shown as connected to the extremity Q8 oit the longest lealthe laminated spring il, the stud 23 ot the lower retainer passing through a hole in said leal which latter is conlined between the washers 25 and 26 by nut 24- in precisely the same manner that the other retainer is secured to the 'trame bracket 27.

'llie connector shown is adapted to absorb lateral or sine thrusts to a limited extent but is less yielding to such thrusts than to the movements o lf the connected mcn'ibers iowa rd or trom cach other., le ,eral thrust," such as may imparted by me swerving of a vehicle tends to laterally displace the upper and lower retainers with respect to each other, but this tendency is materially resisted by the band ll. Relative enowise movements in the line olf vehicle travel such as are due to the bending the spring as the vehicle traverses rough places in the road may be permitted to a limited extent without substantial elastic resistance when the curvature of the retaining caps, as illustrated, is slightly less than the curvature oli the rubber block and its pe ripheral band.` This permits a link like swinging movement about the bolts l5, lim iter/l by the rolling engagement et the block with the inner curved suriaces of the tainer. Relative movements olf the end oi"I the spring and the end of the trame member Vertically, or away from each other are elas tically resisted by the tensional elasticity et the rubber, which may be permitted to stretch or elongate between the bolts l5 by the ilexibility o the surrounding band, the rubber de'lorming and bulging enilwisc i'ietween the ,i ,s ol' the end walls i8. Relative movements olf the spriiiig and traine toward each other are resisted quickly by the compressive elasticity olf the rubber, wiieh lthen tends to deform and bulge into the spaces between the edges oi.1 the walls 1S o l the two retainers. rl`he flexible, relatively inelastic band 11i permits the rubber to dclorm in dilierent directions within limits required in practice, but so rein'iorces the i'bonneclor that excessive distortion ot the rubber is prevented, and, ow ing to the tubular ilform oii" the relatively 'in elastic band or sheath la, only slight distortion is allowed in a direction parallel with the bolts l5.

inasmuch as the band l/l shown incloses a greater volume when in ils normal form ot a cylinder with round cross section Vthan when deformed into a sheath of any other cross section it will be evident that the greater 'the deformation of the rubber block and band the greater is the resistance to further deformation. Ars the volume inclosed by the ban d 14 is less when the band is deformed iii-om circular section the rubber block must then bulge between the Aflared edges 2() oi the end plates 1S. Evidently, then, this connector has the valuable property olf increasingly snubbing relative movements or the parts con. ected by it in any direction in proportion to the torce exerted tending to deform the block.

Although the connector has been illustr'L d and described as applied to use :is a gring shackle it is not intended to be limited otherwise than as indicated by the appended claims.

lllhat I claim is:

l, An elastic connector comprising a substantially cylindrical mass olf rubber surrounded by a sirengthening` band oit relatively non-stretchable llexible n'iaterial, means whereby the connector may be attached in operative position, said means comprising retainers oif cup like form for receiving the upper and lower ends of said connector, and the interiors ot which retainers approxb mately litthe exterior surta-ces o t the enes oiC said connector, and pins extending tranfl` versely through the mass ol rubber and portions ot' said retainers, said retainers having each a threaded stud projecting trom it 'tor securing them to the members to be elasti ally connected, said mass of rubber having uu conlined areas between said retainers.

2. An elastic connector comprising a cyiiiidrical block of rubber, surrounded by a band oif relatively non-stretchable .flexible mateH rial, means whereby the connector may be al tached in operative position, said. means coni-- prising separate retainers ot cup-like torni. approximately litting the upper and lower ends ol the banded cylindrical block but hav ing an interior curvature on a slightly larger radius than that ot the block and having periiiral'cd end portions, pins extending trai'isversely through the mass oi rubber and through said periioraled end portions ol the retainers, said retainers having each a thrcaded stud projecting Yfrom il whereby said retainers may be secured to lwo members to be elastically connected, said. block of rubber having unconlined areas at its ends between said retainers.

THERON P. HASL ill 

